Lus aikins



P. T. AIKINS.

- y DEVICE 'EOE GHEGKING HORSES.

N0..38-1,316. l A PvatentdApLzlZ1888..

(Nol Model.)

" el-Illlllll Nl? I N. PETERS, PMbLmwgnphsr. Walhillgiun. D. C.

"UNITED STATESV PATENT (')EIIICEQd FREDERICK THEOPHILUs AIKINs, -OE rIORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.v

DEVICE FOR CHECKING HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 381.31,dated April 17, 1828.

l Application filed October 2B, 1887. Serial No. 253.645. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concen:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK THEOPHI- LUs AI-KINs, ofthe city of Toronto, in the 'county of York, in the Province of Ontario,

simple device by which the motion of the` wheels of a vehicle may be utilized for the purpose of checking or holding the horse hitched to the said vehicle; and it'consists, essentially,

' of one or more bitching-cords Connected to the bridle-bit of the horse and preferablythrough other cords to a drum carried on a shaft suitably journaledl inproximityto the aXle of the vehicle,and provided with gearing so arranged that it may be thrown in or out of connection with the vhub of thewheel, so that the motion of the latter may be utilized at the will of the driver for the purpose of rotating the drum and Winding the eord,thusimparting astrain on the bridle-bit sufficient to hold the horse fromirunning away, the whole being constructed in des tail substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained. n

- Figure 1 is a perspective View, partially in section, of a vehicle provided with my improved-hitching device. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of the gearing. Fig. 3 is an end view of the winding-drum, showing its coni nection with the shaft.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different iigures.

A representsv two bitching-cords provided with ordinary snaps, a, by which they are connected to the bridle bit. These cords pass .through loops b, projecting from the bottom of the shafts B, andare connected at their back end to the cordC, which has a spring, D, the opposite end of which loops over the hook E, connected to the shafts B, as indicated, so that the tension of the spring D shall draw upon the cord C, one of which is supplied for each shaft. The cords C pass around pulleys F and connect at their back end with a cord, G,Which is suitably supported from the reach of the vehicle, and is connected at its back end with a drum, H. This drumH is loosely journaled on the shaft I, and, -as may be seen in Fig. 3,

has a ratchet-dog, d, pivotedinitand designed to engage with the ratchet-wheel J, which is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft I. By

thus forming a ratchet-connection between the drum H and the shaft I the said shalt will revolve in one direction Without moving the drum, but when revolved in the other direction will carry the drum H with it. One end lof the shaft Iis'provided with a journal, 6

connected to the reach K, while its other end passes through and is supported in a horizontal slot,'f, formed in the bracket L, which is' clipped upon and secured to the axleM, as 65 l shown. A friction-pulley, N, is keyed or otherwise fastened to the'end of the shaft I, and is designed to tit intothe lianged friction-pulley O, which is secured to the hub P of the wheel.

A lever, Q, is pivotedin the bracket L, and has pivoted on its end a small Tshaped plate, It, carrying on its T-end the'two friction-pulleys g, which fit between the'flanged disks` S,

so that by the movement of the lever Ry they -rnay be pressed against the lia'nges on the disks S, which disks are fitted upon the, shaft I, as

indicated. A spring, T, is arranged to press against the back of the lever Q, so`as-to hold the friction -pulley N out of gear {vit-h the 8c flanged friction-pulley O when the said lever is not otherwise acted upon:` A cord,U, is attached to the long end of the lever Q, and "afl ter passing over the pulleyh is carried :through a hole in the bottom of the vehicle, and isattached to a ring, la, designed to fit'into a recess made in the block V,Which is attached to the bottom of the vehicle, as indicated.

W is a cord provided with a similarringk,

and in the samemanner passing through the 9o block V, so that when not used its-ring will also fit into al recess formed in the said block V. The'cord W passes around the pulleys m and n, and its end is connected, as indicated,

the head q, formed on the end of the plate X. Ioo When the lever is in this position, the friction-j pulley N is pressed against the flanged yfric-l tion-pulley O.

Having now descrlb'ed the general construcrto the'spring-plate X,Which is adj ustably con- 95 tion of my device, I shall proceedto explain briefly its operation.

The cords A,which I term bitching-cords, will be connected to the bridle-bitwhen the horse is harnessed to the vehicle; but the end of the lever` Q Willnot be in contact with the plate X, and the spring T will hold the friction-pulley N away from the anged pulley O. Consequently the shaft I will remain stationary while the vehicle is in motion. By the action of the spring D, which may be an ordinary elastic strap, as shown, or a spring of any other suitable description, the cords (l and G are kept taut and the cords A loose, so as not to interfere with the head of the horse. When the driver of the vehicle desires to hitch his horse, hewill seize the ring k and pull upon the cord U until the end of the lever Qsprings past the head gof the plate X, which plate is so adjusted that when the end of the lever is in the positionjust described and indicated in Fig. 1 the friction-pulley N will be held in contact with the flanged friction-pulley O, and,as this latter pulley derives motion from the hub P, it follows that the shaft I, on which the pulleyN is fixed, must revolve and carry with it the drum H, thus winding the cord G until the cords A are suiiiciently taut to stop the horse.

It will be seen that the machinery described may be put into action when the vehicle isin motion, or it may be set so that it will act the moment that the vehicle is moved. Consequently my device is applicable for stopping a runaway, or it may bev used instead of a Weight or bitching-post.

When it is desired to throw the mechanism outof gear, itis merely necessary to draw upon the cord W, which action willpull the springplate X away from the end of the lever Q, which lever will then be forced back by the action of the spring'l. Y f

I have shown my device applied to asinglehorse vehicle; but of course it may be easily applied to a double-horse vehicle without in any way altering the principle of the invention. I therefore do notcoufine myself to the exact arrangement of the cords A, C, and G, as they .will be arranged to suit the style of vehicle the device is to be applied to. Nor do I restrict myself to the frictiongearshown, as other kinds of gear might be adapted to accomplish the same purpose.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A hitchingcord independent of the reins and attached to the bridlebit and to a cord connected at one end to a drum and a spring connected at or near its other end, and connecting said cord with the under side of the shaft, in combination with driving mechanism ar ranged to connect the drum to the wheel of the vehicle, and with mechanism arranged to throw the driving mechanism in and ont of gear, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The cord A, connected at one end to the bridle-bit and at its other end to the cord C, which is held taut by the spring D, and is connected, either directly or through the cord G, to the drum H, and a shaft, I, on which the drum H is journaled, and connected by means of the ratchet-dog d and ratchet-wheel J to the said shaft, in combination with the pulley N, fastened to the shaft I, and arranged to engage with the pulley 0, fastened to the hub P, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The cord A, connected at one end to the bridle-bit and at its other end to the cord C,`

which is held taut bythe spring D, and is con nected, either directly or through the cord G, to the drum H, a shaft, I, on which the drum H is journaled, and connected by means of the ratchetdog d and ratchetwvheel J to the said shaft, a pulley, N, fixed to the shaft I and arranged to engage with the pulley O, fixed to the hub P, in combination with the pivoted lever Q, having attached to one end aT-shaped plate, R, carrying friction-pulleys g, which project behind the flanges of the disks S, and a cord, U, connected to the long end of the lever Q, and extending through a hole in the bottom of the vehicle, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The pivoted lever Q` connected to and arranged to adjust one end of the shaft I, in combination with the adjustable springplate X, having a head, q, formed on it to engage with the end of the lever Q, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

5. The pivoted lever Q, connected to and arranged to adjust one end of the shaft I, in combination with the adjustable springplate X, havinga head, g, formed on it to engage with the end of the lever Q, and a cord, W, arranged to withdraw the Spring-plate Xaway from the end of the lever Q, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A lever, Q, pivoted in the bracket L and having the friction-pulleysg attached to its short end and arranged to engage with the flanged disks S, which are connected to the shaft I, in combination with the spring T, arranged to act-nate the lever Q, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Toronto, October 15, 1887.

FREDERICK rimorlutts AIKINS.

In presence of OHARLEs C. BALDWIN, CHAs. A. Ricans.

ICO

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